Silent Serenity
by Eva Sirico
Summary: Kate, avid writer and enthusiastic adventurer, moves to Forks with her older brother, hoping for a new adventure. Little did she know that when she caught the attention of a certain vampire, her whole world would turn upside-down... Jasper x OC
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** **I do not own Twilight**

* * *

CHAPTER 1

I eagerly stared out the window as the town of Forks moved past me, revealing damp, mossy trees after damp, mossy trees. The place was covered by woods and plenty of places to explore. I made a mental note to ask about nearby hiking trails.

"It's a small town," my brother Tony admitted as he caught my stare.

"Dont' worry," I assured him. "I love to hike, remember? Besides, I don't mind small towns. I think." I shrugged. "Never lived in one."

"That's you, the big-city Mainer," Tony teased as he stopped for a red light.

"Hey! Don't be a hater!" I joked. "Besides, you used to live in Maine." Before he met cheating Gloria, that is.

Tiny lines around his mouth tightened as he roared the car to life, turning the corner as the light turned green. I sighed. "Sorry, Tony. I didn't mean to bring her up. I know you liked her a lot."

"It's okay. You warned me," Tony replied quietly.

The rest of the car ride to the new house was silent. The moving truck was already there, and the two guys were talking animatedly in the driveway. I stared up at the house, grinning. It was a small two-story, painted a light blue. I fell in love with it instantly.

I pushed the car door open and walked up the driveway, the gravel crunching under my converse sneakers. Tony was already unlocking the door while the movers opened up the back of the truck.

The space inside the house was rather large. Ignoring the ground level, I thundered up the stairs to explore the upstairs. Poking around, I found a small bathroom, a master bedroom, and a smaller one. I stepped inside the smaller one, guessing it to be mine. There was a lot of space that would soon be filled with all of my clutter. Two windows gave me a view of the road, and another one to the side a view of the forest surrounding the house.

"Like it?" Tony asked, stepping into the room. Below us, I could hear the moving guys starting to bring things inside.

"Love it," I admitted. "I hope I'll actually like the school, now."

"I'm sure you will," he assured me, before beckoning. "Come on. Let's go get everything unpacked."

* * *

Later, we sat eating a pizza at the kitchen table. Both of us were exhausted at oving everything around for the whole day, but it was finally done.

Tony cleared his throat, taking a swig from his soda. "School for you starts tomorrow. I know that it's pretty late in the year, but I checked the classes that you're taking. Since everyone takes biology in their junior year-"

"I took that sophomore year," I interrupted, making a face.

"I know," Tony said. "Which is why you have chemistry with the seniors."

"A senior class?" I asked in disbelief, blinking. "Bring it on, I guess."

"Good attitude." Tony picked up his pizza and continued eating.

I ate in silence, thinking about the next day. Finally retiring, I walked upstairs and laid down on my daybed, staring out the window that the daybed was.

I had been living with my brother Tony for a little over three months, now. Our mother died in childbirth, and our dad was determined unfit to care for me, so my brother took me into his custody. I didn't mind that much, considering Tony liked to travel. He was trained as a dentist, and was opening up a new practice here in Forks.

For the life of me, I couldn't figure out why he decided on Forks. When I asked him about it, Tony merely replied that it had a 'certain charm'. It fit, that description. Forks may seem unappealing to some, but to Tony and I, it seemed great compared to the last city that I lived in.

High school. A flutter of nervousness struck through me at the thought of it. Tony had told me on the drive that there were about three hundred people in the high school. My school had only been a little bit bigger, but the size didn't matter to me. It was the people. Would I fit in? Would I make any friends? Did they have a cool library? Stuff like that.

Sighing, I sat up and reached for my little red book and my favorite blue pen, determined to finally finish the short story that I could never quite think of up an ending for.

Maybe tonight would be the night.

* * *

A/N

Hello everyone! Start of a new story. This is my first Twilight story, so I'm curious to see where this goes.

Please review!

~Eva Sirico~


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight**

* * *

_Click._

_My heart is paralyzed / __My head was oversized / I'll take the high road like I should / You said it's meant to be / That it's not you, it's me / You're leaving now for my own good..._

_Slam._

The music shut off as I slammed my hand down on the button to shut off the annoying wake-up call. Groaning, I threw back my comfortably warm covers and staggered out of bed, languidly getting dressed and combing my hair before throwing it up in a simple bun.

Thundering down the stairs, I trooped into the kitchen, snagging an apple from the fruit bowl and sat down at the table. Tony was already there, dark circles under his eyes as he drank a cup of coffee. "Hey, Kate."

"Morning." Mmm. Apples were good.

He bit back a yawn. "Need a ride to school?"

I shrugged, munching on my breakfast. "Sure, why not?"

Five minutes later my backpack was resting on my lap as the small, compact car roared out of the driveway and down towards the school. The green scenery rushed by as we drove through the town, heading towards the high school. Like everything else in this town, it was right off the highway.

As we pulled up into the parking lot, I noticed that all of the cars seemed to be antiques. Tony's beat-up car fit right in with all the others. I picked up my bag, opening the door and climbing out. Tony rolled down the window. "I'll be by after school to pick you up, 'kay?"

"Sure. Bye, Tony." I watched for a second as he drove out of the parking lot, before turning my attention back to the high school. Sighing, I ignored the curious glances from the other students as I made my way to the main office.

Inside, it was brightlly lit and warmer than the outside air. I waited awkwardly in the middle of the room while the red-haired woman was busy helping another student. As the girl stood back from the desk and made her way toward the door, she flashed a small, uncertain smile at me which I whole-heartedly returned.

I stepped up to the desk. "Hi, I'm Kate Turner. I'm new...?"

"Ah, yes," the woman replied. The name on the desk read Mrs. Cope. "Welcome to Forks! Here's your schedule," she handed me a paper. The classes were pretty straight forward. "Now you're taking a senior class during sixth period instead of biology, correct?"

I nodded. "Yep."

She went through my schedule with me, explaining things with me and gave me a map of the high school before I left. Using the map I managed to make it to my first class, just as the bell rang.

I handed the slip to the teacher for him to sign, and in return he gave me the reading list for the year. "You can sit in the back with Isabella Swan," Mr. Varner directed, and I slid into my seat.

"Hi!" I said. "I'm new here."

Isabella flashed me a small smile. "Yeah, me too."

"Where'd you move from, Isabella?" I asked curiously.

"Phoenix. And you can call me Bella," she replied.

I smiled. "Okay. You can call me Kate, then. Is Phoenix really as hot as they say?" Before she could answer, Mr. Varner started the class, and I opted for taking notes instead of chatting. I had already covered this unit back home in Maine, but it never hurt to review it again.

Bella and I became sort of friends that day, as we had all morning classes together. We also met another girl, called Jessica, in our classes. We walked with her to lunch, and she was chatting our ears off about different gossip circulating throughout the school. I could honestly care less about gossip, but I sucked it up and dealt with it.

At lunch, the two of us were introduced to a variety of new people, who were all very cheerful and friendly (except for a girl named Lauren). I sat next to a girl called Angela with Bella on my other side as we ate our lunch.

Halfway through the meal, I heard Bella ask, "Who are _they?_"

Glancing up, I did a double-take. The people sitting at the table that Bella was staring could all pass as movie-stars. They were inhumanly beautiful; it was hard to believe they're real. I glanced at a tall guy with blonde hair, who was talking with a small girl with spiky dark hair. As she stood up to dump her tray, the guy swiftly looking around the cafeteria. His eyes met mine for a fraction of a second before I looked away.

Jessica giggled. "That's Edward and Emmett Cullen, and Rosalie and Jasper Hale. The one who left was Alice Cullen; they all live together with Dr. Cullen and his wife."

"They are...very nice-looking," Bella said slowly.

Jessica giggled again, and I decided that her laugh was annoying. "Yes! The big one, Emmett, is together with the blonde one, Rosalie. It's weird, I mean, they live together!"

I shrugged. "They're not related, though, so it doesn't matter."

Jessica shot me a look before turning her attention back to Bella, continuing her explanation about the Cullens. I half-listened as I continued to eat my lunch, before taking my plate to dump it. One of the Cullens, the one with blonde hair, had taken his plate to throw away at the same time.

He stiffened, then looked up at me with pitch-black eyes, his posture stiff. Before I could react, his sister Alice was by his side, as well as Emmett, who took his arm and towed him away.

Alice stepped up to me. "Hi! You must be Kate, right?"

I blinked, still confused over what happened. "Er, yeah. Is your brother alright?"

"Oh, Jasper's fine, he gets like that sometimes," she assured me, flashing me a smile. "I'll see you around, okay?"

"Yeah, sure. Bye, Alice." She gave me another smile before dancing away.

I blinked again. What just happened?

* * *

A/N

Second chapter! Thank you to my reviewers :)

Please review!

~Eva Sirico~


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight**

* * *

Sixth period.

Chemistry.

Also known as my personal hell.

Earth Science freshmen year was fine.

Biology my sophomore year was great. I loved learning about it.

Chemistry, though...

Sighing, I handed off my slip to the teacher. Most of the seniors were already seated, and some were shooting me curious looks. Odd one out. Joy.

"You may sit next to Mr. Smith," the teacher said, motioning to an empty seat in the third row. Nodding, I took my slip back and made my way over to where a tall guy with rather long black hair was sitting.

"Hey," he said in greeting.

"Hi. I'm Kate."

"Nick," he replied. There was an awkward silence for a moment. "So, you're a junior, right?"

I nodded. "Yeah. Just moved here."

He smirked. "What, are you too smart for your other classes?"

I exhaled through my nose. "No, I just already took biology my sophomore year." How many more times would I have to explain that?

"Oh," Nick said, and the conversation dropped.

As the teacher (I think his name was Mr. Young) began, my thoughts drifted. How was Bella doing? We had every class together so far, but she was in biology at the moment. I hope that at least Jess was in here class, but I think that Jess had English or something this period-

"Kate," Nick whispered. "Your answer is mercury."

"What?" I asked confused, but Mr. Young called on Nick.

"Nick?"

"Argon," he replied.

Mr. Young nodded and turned to me. "Miss Turner?"

"Uhh...mercury?" I half-asked, hoping that Nick wasn't fooling me.

To my luck, Mr. Young simply nodded and moved on. I breathed a sign of relief and turned to Nick. "Thanks. I owe you one."

He shrugged. "Thought you weren't paying attention."

A sheepish smile crept over my face. "I wasn't," I admitted. "Thanks anyway."

"No prob." We returned our attention back to where the teacher began his lecture again in more comfortable silence.

Looks like I made another friend.

At that moment, I caught sight of a beautiful girl with honey-gold eyes glaring at me fiercely from across the room. There was an empty seat next to her. I recognized her from the Cullen's table; she must be Rosalie.

I blinked at her, confusion dancing across my face, before she looked away, silently fuming. I turned my attention back to the front of the class. What did I do?

"Hey," Nick whispered. "You okay?"

"Fine," I murmured back.

Did this have something to do with her brother, Jasper?

* * *

Bella walked into the dressing room with irritation written all over her face. I walked towards her. "Bella? You okay?"

"Fine," she replied, sighing. "Tell you about it in a moment."

Luckily for us two, we didn't have to play today. I didn't mind gym, but I found it a little annoying that it was mandatory for all four years of high school. Back in Maine, you only had to take it freshman year.

Bella and I sat on the bleachers as she described what had happened in her biology class with one of the Cullens; Edward. "That's weird," I commented, frowning. "The same thing happened to me with Jasper, back in the cafeteria. And his sister, Rosalie, seems to hate me now."

"Strange," Bella mumbled, watching the volleyball game absentmindedly.

Sighing, I turned my attention back to the game and winced as someone was hit square in the face with the ball.

* * *

When the final bell rang, Bella and I walked along the buildings towards the front office, chatting a tiny bit about Bella's old school. I opened the door and the two of us walked into the office. Bella froze, and confused, I followed her stare to one of the Cullens. _That must be Edward, _I thought to myself.

Bella pressed herself against the wall and I stood next to her, waiting for our turn. I idly listened in to Mrs. Cope and Edward's conversation, something about switching out of a biology class. The door opened, and a girl that I recognized from my chemistry class placed a note in a wire basket on the desk before walking out again.

I turned my gaze to where Edward Cullen was giving Bella a hateful glare. I stiffened. Before I could say anything, Edward mutterd, "Never mind, then. I can see that it's impossible. Thank you so much for your help." Without another word or glance at Bella, he turned and stalked out of the office.

"Who spit in his bean curd?" I muttered as we stepped up to the desk.

"How did your first day go, dears?" Mrs. Cope asked as we handed her our slips.

"It was fine," I assured her, while Bella remained silent.

When we exited, there were only two cars in the parking lot. I said goodbye to Bella, who managed a weak one back. Worried for her, I watched as she walked to a beat-up red truck. Shaking my head, I hurried over to where Tony had parked, eager to get home and continue my novel.

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A/N

No Jasper in this chapter. Maybe in the next one, though :)

Review!

~Eva Sirico~


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight**

* * *

_Click._

_On the other side of a street I knew / Stood a girl that looked like you / I guess that's deja vu / But I thought this can't be true..._

_Slam._

"I'm beginning to see a pattern," I grumbled, throwing back my covers and staggering out of bed.

About fifteen minutes later, I found myself in the cramped car heading towards Forks high school.

"When can I get my own car?" I asked.

"Dunno," he shrugged, a little smirk on his face.

I rolled my eyes. "You just don't want me sneaking out of the house to meet boys."

"Well, yes," Tony admitted. I muttered to myself, slouching in my seat as he pulled into the parking lot. I noticed the Cullens had congregated alongside a nice red convertible. Idly, my eyes scanned them. I noticed that Edward wasn't there (Good. He won't be hateful towards Bella today) and neither was Jasper.

Is he okay? The scene from the cafeteria played over again in my mind. Something clicked in my mind. How did Alice know my name? Huh. She must be in one of my classes. She looks like a junior, anyway.

"Are you getting out or what?" Tony asked jokingly.

I rolled my eyes and kicked the door open. "Only if you go grocery shopping after work," I grumbled. "There's no food in the house."

Tony imitated me. "Nag, nag, nag," he muttered sourly.

I popped my head back in. "You know you love me," I replied, grinning.

Tony rolled his eyes. "Yes, yes, now shoo."

* * *

The second day passed smoother than the first. Bella had been nervous all day about her upcoming biology lesson, but I tried to assure her that Edward wasn't here today. No go, though in gym she seemed in a better mood – slightly.

Nick and I had another nice conversation today, though it took a little time to get it going. He was a pretty cool guy, and I hoped that we would become good friends.

A week passed. One morning half-way through the second week here in Forks, after waking up to Maroon 5's Payphone, I trudged down the stairs to see Tony casually eating a bowl of cereal. I grabbed a bagel and throw it in the toaster. "So when are you going into work today?"

He glanced up at the clock. "Right now, actually." He stood up and grabbed his jacket.

I blinked. "Wait, what about me? I still need to-"

"Look outside," Tony interrupted, a grin forming on his face.

Curious, I trotted over to the window just as my bagel popped back up. A grin spread over my face. "Tony! I love it!"

Parked outside was an old, beat-up white car. It was in better shape than Tony's, but still far from new. I didn't care, though. It was mine. I grabbed Tony in a hug before dancing around the kitchen, singing Jason Mraz songs at the top of my lungs.

Tony shook his head. "I should have checked you into a loony bin a long time ago," he teased.

I rolled my eyes. "Go away~."

* * *

People's heads looked up curiously to see a new car in the parking lot. When I climbed out they all turned back to their business. I had parked next to Bella's car, and she smiled when I climbed out. "Hey, Kate."

"Morning, Bella!" I replied brightly. "Like my new car?"

"It's nice," she replied hesitantly.

"I've named it Fabio." I locked Fabio up and walked with Bella towards the school, chatting animatedly about the newest chapter in my novel. It was colder this morning than previously, but I didn't mind. "Do you think it will snow?" I asked ccuriously as we sat in English, preparing for a pop quiz.

Bella shrugged, but I was rewarded as we walked out of the class to be met with swirling white bits. Excited, I danced around in it happily. "I love the snow!"

"Ew." Bella's face betrayed disgust as she stared at the flakes.

Mike glanced at Bella in surprise. "Don't you like snow?"

"No. That means it's too cold or rain. Besides, I thought it was supposed to come down in flakes – you know, each one unique and all that. These just look like the end of Q-tips."

I burst out laughing. "Haven't you ever seen snow fall before? Besides, I like this kind of snow fall best!"

"Sure I have." She paused, considering. "On TV."

A snowball whizzed by me and struck Mike on the back of his had. Whipping my head around, I saw Eric walking away in a hurry. I laughed as Mike prepared to retaliate, but followed Bella to our next class.

Throughout that morning everyone was excitedly talking about the snow. On the way to lunch, snow balls were flying everywhere. One smacked me on the side of the head. "HEY!" I protested, turning to see Nick. An impish expression was fixed on his face as he grinned at me.

Diving towards the snow, I grabbed a handful and raced after him. Seeing what I had in mind, he tried to make his escape but I was faster. I grabbed his arm and managed to dump my snow down the back of his shirt.

Laughing, I watched as he wriggled, trying to escape the cold. "Poor Nick," I teased, and laughed as he mock-glared at me.

"I'll get you back," he promised, but I simply shrugged and hurried to catch up with Bella and Jess in the cafeteria.

I walked into the building and down the hallway towards the cafeteria. Before I could move any farther, a low voice with a hint of a southern drawl said, "Excuse me." I turned to see Jasper. His hair was damp with snow and his eyes a bright gold. "My name is Jasper Hale."

"Hi. I'm Kate Turner," I replied, smiling at him.

"I would like to apologize for the other day," Jasper explained.

An image of the scene in the cafeteria flashed through my mind. "Oh, no problem. Are you okay?"

He paused for a second before nodding. "Yes, I'm fine."

"Good."

There was an awkward silence for a moment. "What class do yu have next?" Jasper asked curiously.

"Chemistry with Young," I replied.

He flashed me a half-smile and I momentarily forgot how to breathe. "So do I. I shall see you next period."

"Okay. Bye," I said, walking into the cafeteria and zoomed over to my usual table, giving Nick a high-five on the way.

"Bella, what are you staring at?" I heard Jess ask as I approached. Following her line of sight, I looked over to the Cullen's table to find Edward back and staring at Bella.

"He's not glaring, is he?" I asked, sitting down and stealing a fry from Mike's plate. "I'll give him a piece of my mind if he is."

"No," Jess replied, sounding bewildered. "Should he be?"

"I don't think he likes me," Bella admitted, putting her head down on her arm.

Jess shrugged. "The Cullens don't like anybody...well, they don't notice anybody enough to like them." My mind flashed to Jasper in the hallway. Weird. "But he's still staring at you," Jess added.  
"Stop looking at him," Bella hissed.

Jess snickered, but I sent her a warning glance and she looked away from the Cullens. I snuck a peek myself and saw that Edward was indeed still staring at our table.

And so was Jasper.

I caught Jasper's gaze, gave him a small smile, and looked back down, stealing another fry from Mike's plate.

Chemistry might actually be interesting today.

* * *

A/N

Well, some Jasper in this! As you can probably tell, I'm following the books just because I like them better than the movies xD Easier for me too.

Please review~!

~Eva Sirico~


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight**

* * *

"Today we will be learning about stoichiometry," Mr. Young said, taking out a whiteboard marker. "Now, if you remember from our previous unit..." I zoned out, too excited about the snow to actually pay attention. Who cares about chemistry anyway? How will I ever need to know about how to convert moles to grams while being a writer anyhow?

"Kate," Nick said. I snapped to attention and realized that everyone was talking amongst themselves and Mr. Young was sitting at his desk. Nick laughed. "Stop daydreaming and pay attention in school, will you?"

"You sound like my brother," I muttered rebelliously, but sat up in my seat. I gulped when I saw the worksheet in front of me. Oh, crap. I guess I should have taken notes after all. "Ummm...Nick?"

"Here are my notes," Nick said, grinning as he shoved the notebook over to me.

I let out a sigh of relief. "You're a lifesaver, Nick," I said reverently as I copied down the notes he took into my notebook before starting on the problems.

I felt someone lean over me. "You multiply the top and divide by the bottom," Jasper's voice mentioned above me, and a slender finger pointed out the problem. "Your answer should turn out to be 1.2 moles of magnesium, not whatever number you had before." I looked up to see Jasper's laughing golden eyes.

I grinned at him weakly. "Yeah. I'm kind of a failure at chemistry...so yeah..."

Jasper let out a small chuckle. "Let me know if you need any help anytime. I'll be glad to help you." He sent me a smile before continuing to the front of the room to pass his paper in.

I quickly made the corrections and glanced up to see Nick staring at me. "What?" I asked, confused.

He shut his mouth. "Did I just hear Jasper Hale offer to help tutor you in chemistry?"

I shrugged. "Um...yeah?"

He blinked. "Wow. Okay. That is definitely not something you see everyday."

I shrugged again, and returned to my work. Okay... 2.3 grams of chlorine...I just need to convert that to moles...so it's just a one-step problem...right? Right?

"This is a one-step problem, right?" I asked Nick hopefully.

He shrugged. "Don't look at me. I don't understand this at all."

I sighed. Just great. Before I could reply, the bell rang. I grabbed the paper and stuffed it into my bookbag, vowing to make Tony help me with it at home. Most of the class had already filed out, so I followed Nick out the door.

"See you later, Kate," he called as he made his way to his English class.

"Bye," I replied, turning to head to gym.

At gym, Bella could hardly concentrate on the sport at hand, volleyball. After school was over, I cornered her before she could escape to her truck. "Okay, talk. What's got you so distracted?"

Her eyes slid from mine to someone out in the parking lot. "Just... Edward is so confusing. One moment it seems like he hates me, and then I had a nice conversation with him today," she mumbled.

I looked at her, confused. "Wow. That's pretty bipolar." I shrugged. "Well, maybe he was just having a tough day." Though that glare that he had given her in the office... What was his game?

"Yeah," Bella said. The two of us walked out the door and into the rain. I sighed. Of course the snow wasn't to last. We hurried to our respective cars, parked next to each other. I turned my car on but waited for Bella to leave first. She was looking at something down the way from me. When I looked, I could see Edward staring at her car.

Bella hastily backed up and nearly hit another car before slamming on the brake. I covered my mouth, trying hard not to laugh, before she quickly corrected herself and drove away. Shaking my head, grinning, I backed out and headed towards the exit.

The silver Volvo was already there, waiting to go out. I slowed to a stop, waiting. Jasper was in the passenger seat, and he flashed me a small smile. Edward motioned for me to go first, and I waved before driving out of the parking lot.

Huh. Who said chivalry was dead?

* * *

"Tony!" I yelled as soon as I heard him walk through the door later that night.

"What?" he yelled back.

"C'mere!" I called. I heard him grumble some unintelligible things before his steps thudded up the stairs. He appeared in the door to my room.

"What's up?"

"I need help with my chemistry homework," I said, sitting up on my daybed and pushing my binder over to him. Tony walked forward and squinted at the paper.

"Oh, you are kidding me," Tony said, staring at the paper. "Kate, I'm a dentist, not a scientist! I can't do this shit!"

"Language!" I scolded.

"Sorry, mother," he muttered under his breath. "Sorry, kid. This is all mumbo-jumbo to me."

"Great." I sighed, flopping back onto the pillows. "Guess I'll have to take up Jasper's offer."

Tony perked up suspiciously. "Who's Jasper?"

"A senior. He offered to help me with chemistry today."

He still looked suspicious. "Do I know his family?"

I stared at him. "Dude, we just moved here like a couple weeks ago."

Tony rolled his eyes. "Just tell me."

"Dr. Cullen?" I asked.

He nodded. "Good man, Dr. Cullen. Nice guy. Yeah, I guess that he's acceptable."

I raised an eyebrow. "It's not like I'm going to date him. He's just going to give me a few pointers on chemistry. That's all." I rolled my eyes. "Gosh, Tony, you always take things to the next level. Go away~."

He threw up his hands. "Hey, you're the one who called me up here. Quit complaining." He started to walk away. "Steak and cheese sandwiches sound good?"

"Definitely," I called back. I stared at my chemistry homework before pushing it away, sighing. "Damn it," I muttered sourly.

"Language!" Tony yelled.

* * *

A/N

Yay! Not dead! *rejoices*

Okay soo yeah. Thanks to all my lovely reviewers :) You guys are the best. I hope to have the next chapter up soon. If not, feel free to send me a reminder XP

Please review!

~Eva Sirico~


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight**

* * *

Gahhh...why was it so bright? I struggled to open my eyes. When I was eventually able to get them open, I turned to the window. The world outside was bathed in white. Excitedly, forgetting the fact that I was supposed to take forever to wake up, I leaped out of bed and ran to the window.

Snow. Snow everywhere. "For the WIN!" I yelled excitedly, pumping a fist in the air. Snow was my favorite thing ever. Other than food. And writing. And books. And-

"Hurry up or you'll be late!" Tony called from downstairs.

"I just got up!" I yelled back.

He didn't answer, but I quickly dressed and pulled a comb through my hair before throwing it up. Running down the stairs, I slid into the kitchen, grabbing an apple. Tony was at the counter, reading the paper and drinking a cup of coffee.

"I haven't seen you this excited since I told you we were moving," he commented idly.

"It's snowing!" I replied, beaming at him. "Do I need to sing Frosty to you?"

"Please don't," Tony groaned, putting his head in his hands.

"LET THERE BE SNOW, LET THERE BE SNO-" Tony chucked the paper at my head. I scowled at him. "Hey!"

"Then don't sing that terrible song," he shot back before glancing at the clock. "Go on, get going. You should leave early so you can go slow on the roads. They're pretty bad."

"Gotcha." I put on my coat and slung my backpack over my shoulder. I walked out of the house and started down the steps. I had only gone three steps before I slipped and fell on my behind. "Ouch!"

Tony laughed from the doorway. "Oh, yeah. Be careful; it's icy." Still laughing to himself, he closed the door.

"Jerk," I hissed, climbing to my feet. This time, I carefully made my way to the car without falling flat on my face. I unlocked it and climbed in, driving to the school.

After parking my car, I grabbed my bag and climbed out as Bella pulled into her usual spot next to my car on the right. I carefully walked over to the other side of my car and waited for her to climb out. "Good morning," I greeted.

"Morning," she said, grasping onto the side of her truck and making her way to where I was standing.

"Oh, wait. I forgot my cell phone. Be right back," I said, turning around and carefully walking to the driver's side of my car. I unlocked the door again and leaned in, grabbing my phone. All of a sudden, a high-pitched screech, painfully loud, sounded in my ears. My head snapped up to see a dark blue van skidding on the ice - and it was heading right for Bella.

"BELLA!" I screamed, dropping my phone and tried to run to where she was standing. Someone grabbed me from behind, preventing me from going any farther. From what I could see, the van crashed into the back of Bella's car. I couldn't see Bella at all.

Other people were shouting and rushing forward to the accident, some on their phones. Still in shock, I looked up to see Jasper standing behind me, holding onto me, but it didn't register. Neither did the fact that his eyes were black, and he immediately let go of me and backed away as if I was diseased. No, the only thing that did register was the fact that Bella was...

I had to see for myself. I rushed forward and pushed my way through the crowd to see Edward kneeling next to Bella. She was fine; she was sitting up but looking around dazed and disoriented. Relief passed through me and I grasped the back of my car to keep me standing. She was alive and it looked like she was unhurt.

I suddenly realized that if Jasper hadn't have grabbed me, then I probably would have been crushed by the van. I would have unthinkingly run straight into its path trying to save Bella...

I turned around to face him, but he was gone. I would need to find him later and thank him profusely. He saved my life. But where had he come from? I didn't remember seeing him so close to my car... He probably had been walking over or passing by and stopped me just in time, my mind reasoned.

That doesn't explain why his eyes were pitch black like the first time I saw him in the cafeteria.

Nick pushed through the crowd and grabbed my arm. "Hey, I was just told. You were standing right there; are you okay?"

"I'm fine," I said softly.

"What were you thinking? You could have gotten yourself killed!" he scolded.

"I wasn't thinking," I admitted. "I just acted. I'm just glad that Jasper was there."

"So am I. Remind me to thank him later." Nick gave me a half-smile.

"Get in line," I joked weakly.

The ambulance arrived shortly after that, and it took six EMT's, Mr. Varner, and Coach Clapp to move the van so they could bring in the stretchers for Tyler and Bella. I watched as Edward avoided a stretcher, but Bella was forced onto one. They even put a neck brace on her, which I doubt that she was thrilled about.

I turned away. "I need to go to the hospital." My hands were shaking, and I felt a rush of exhaustion left over from the adrenaline rush.

Nick nodded. "Alright. But you're not driving there." I tossed him my keys and we climbed into the car, Nick starting it up. As we pulled out of the parking lot, I could see the Cullens standing by their car. They're expressions were weird; they either looked really angry or disapproving.

Jasper wasn't among them.

The rest of our friends were waiting in the waiting room as Nick and I showed up at the hospital. I sighed. I wanted to see Bella, but I knew I had to wait like the rest of our friends. Plopping down in a chair near the hallway, I stared off into space, thinking.

Either Jasper appeared out of nowhere, or I just didn't notice him when I first got out of my car. Why did his eyes change colors? What was the deal with that? Now that I thought about it, a throbbing slight pain lanced through me in my sides. When I touched them gently, pain shot through me. It wasn't deathly, but I knew that there would be bruises forming. I didn't remember him grabbing me that hard...

Bella came out of the room with what I presumed to be her father beside her. Bella's face showed how uncomfortable she was to be here. As soon as she walked out, all of our friends started to converge on her, but Bella escaped before they could reach her.

I sighed. I'll call her tonight, I decided. I should have taken into account how much she didn't like attention.

"Come on," I said quietly, grabbing Nick's arm and walking towards the door. I didn't feel like going back to school. I just wanted to go home.

* * *

A/N

Yay! A new chapter! Big thanks to Claire for helping me come up with ideas for this ^.^

I'll try to have the new chapter up soon :) Please review! They make my day! :D

~Eva Sirico~


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight**

* * *

I suspected that the next day was torture for Bella. She did go to school, but everyone was staring and whispering at her, not to mention the extension of sympathy that I had no doubt she was experiencing. When the spotlight would turn on her, she would try to shrug it off by insisting Edward was the real hero. I didn't see him until the truck was pulled away, though...

Jasper wasn't at school the next day. Or the day after that. I was starting to grow confused. Did it have something to do with the way that his eyes turned pitch-black? I didn't understand... I started to grow worried, but finally on the third day I decided to approach Alice.

As if she was expecting me, she waited before lunch near the door. When I walked up to her, she smiled at me. "Hi, Kate!"

"Hi, Alice," I replied. "Um, I was wondering... Is Jasper okay? I just wanted to thank him for the other day... And he hasn't been in school..." I trailed off awkwardly.

Alice didn't lose the smile on her face. "Trust me, he's fine. Right now he's visiting some friends in Alaska."

"Oh, okay." I awkwardly rubbed the back of my neck, and Alice placed an ice-cold hand on my arm.

"I'll tell him that you were asking for him," she said comfortingly.

I smiled at her. "Thanks, Alice."

"No problem!" Alice looked up as Emmett walked towards us. I blinked in awe. I had seen him from a distance, but up close I never really realized how huge he was. Emmett flashed me a smile as he came to stand next to Alice. She smiled up at him. "Hey, Emmett!"

"Come on, everyone's wondering where you are," Emmett said, his gold eyes wandering to me. Weird. Does all the Cullens have gold eyes? "Nice to meet you, Kate Turner. Alice and Jasper have mentioned you a couple times."

"Really?" I asked surprised.

Alice nodded quickly before grabbing her brother's arm. "See you later, Kate!" Emmett also said goodbye, and they walked through the cafeteria to their regular table.

"What is with you and making friends with the Cullens?" Nick asked curiously as he came up behind me, hands in pockets. "Not saying it's bad or anything, but still."

The two of us walked through the crowded, noisy cafeteria towards the lunch line. I shrugged as I picked up a tray. "They're nice people. I don't understand why they're not accepted."

Nick shifted uncomfortably. "Yeah." Quickly, he changed the subject. "Did you get the chemistry homework done from yesterday?"

I groaned. "Oh. right. Chemistry." I sighed. "Yeah, I finished it. Did you?"

We continued to make small talk as we passed through the lunch line. I grabbed a slice of pizza and a small cup of grapes before the two of us parted ways and headed to our separate tables.

It was a week before anything interesting happened. I was walking into school with Bella when a very familiar voice said, "Excuse me." I turned around to see Jasper standing behind me, hands shoved into his pockets. He looked guarded, and his eyes were a brilliant gold colour.

"Hey!" I said cheerfully, brightening at the sight of him. Bella excused herself and walked on to class while Jasper and I stayed. It was silent for a moment before I spoke up. "Hey, thanks for last week. You know, the car accident. I wasn't thinking, and I could have gotten hurt..."

"You're quite welcome," Jasper replied. "Are you okay? I apologize that I didn't see if you were..."

The bruises from where his hands gripped me had faded, so I nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Alright." It was silent again for a moment. "So I'll see you in Chemistry?" Jasper asked finally.

"Yeah." Wait. Chemistry. "Hey, Jasper?" He turned around again, and I gave him a sheepish smile. "Can I take you up on that tutoring offer?" I felt a stab of nervousness rush through me. Did he really offer that time, or was he just saying that?

A wave of calm passed through me as Jasper gave me a brilliant smile. "You can. When and where do you want to meet?"

After making plans to meet at my house later that day, we said goodbye and walked to class. I was lucky to have a friend like Jasper. Well, was he a friend? Could I count him as one? I considered all the times that we've met, and the fact that he may have saved my life during the accident... I think that he was._ He's really handsome too_... a small voice whispered in my mind.

Making a face, I sat in my seat. I didn't need a boyfriend right now, and besides I was perfectly happy. Also, who's to say that Jasper would even want to date me? He's just a friend. Besides, my last relationship didn't go so well, and I was enjoying my single status. I could be happy with a guy, but I didn't need a boyfriend to to make me happy.

"Are you going to start paying attention, Kate?" the teacher asked me in an exasperated tone. Blinking, I looked around seeing everyone staring at me. Oops.

"Yes, sorry," I mumbled, straightening up in my seat. Bella raised an eyebrow at me from her seat next to mine as the teacher went back to teaching. Soon, a note appeared on my desk.

_What happened with Jasper?_

I glanced up to see if the teacher was occupied before hastily scrawling a reply. _Nothing really. I thanked him for last week and he agreed to tutor me in chemistry._

Before Bella could write a reply, the teacher gave us a warning look, and we put the note away. I sighed, taking out a sheet of paper. Well, if I was doing badly in one class, it was no excuse to do badly in all of them. Reluctantly, I began to take notes, but part of my mind was still focused on the tutoring session that would take place later.

With a groan I realized that Tony would be home. Great. My over-protective brother would definitely suspect something unsavory was happening, when it would just be a tutoring session. Oh, the joy.

* * *

A/N

Ello! Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about this story! I've been busy with my original stories XD Guess what?! I published an e-book on Amazon :) It's called Of Top Hats and Thieves, and it's only 0.99 (USD)! I'd love it if you guys would read it and give me feedback!

I hope to have the next chapter up soon. So sorry again about the hiatus!

Review please!

~Eva Sirico~


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight**

* * *

CHAPTER 8

"Tony?" I called as I entered the house, letting my backpack drop on his favorite armchair. I made my way into the kitchen where Tony was eating a sandwich. "It's, like, three in the afternoon," I said, raising an eyebrow.

Tony scowled at me. "I didn't eat lunch," he said with his mouth full.

"Gross," I complained, leaning against the counter. "Anyway, I have a friend coming over to teach me chemistry, so be nice, okay?"

Tony swallowed his bite. "Who is it?" Eyeing his sandwich, he took another large bite.

"Jasper Hale."

Tony gagged on the sandwich and fell into a coughing fit. "Breathe! I believe in you!" I cheered while whacking him on the back.

"That was not needed!" Tony muttered, scowling as he set his sandwich down and shooed me away. "A _guy?_ Why can't Bella help you or something?"

"Toonnyyy," I complained. "He's a good guy. You already said the Cullens were a good family. And besides, Bella hasn't taken chemistry yet." I reached for the fruit bowl and grabbed a banana and began peeling it.

Tony considered this. "Fine. Stay in the living room, and if he tries something I will not hesitate to kick his ass to the curb."

"He won't, trust me. And watch your language!" I shoved part of the banana in my mouth and quickly swallowed before grabbing my brother in a hug. "Thanks, Tony."

Tony pretended to grimace, but I could see hints of a smile. "Go on, then."

I was sitting in the living room, reading _The Great Gatsby_ when the doorbell rang. Abandoning the copy – even though it was at an intense part – I made my way over to the door and opened it. I could see it was lightly raining outside, and I stepped to the side as Jasper walked inside.

"Hello," he said, grinning at me. I was in awe. _Was he always this handsome? _Mentally shaking myself out of those thoughts, I returned the smile.

"Hey!" I showed him where he could hang his coat up, and brought him into the living room. "My brother Tony should be lurking in the kitchen," I said as I collapsed on the couch.

Jasper looked towards the kitchen as Tony came in. "Hello, sir," Jasper said respectfully. "I'm Jasper Hale." He held out his hand.

Tony waved his hand. "Just call me Tony." He took Jasper's hand anyway and shook it. "Well, I'll leave you two to your studying.I'll be right upstairs." He gave the both of us a meaningful look. I rolled my eyes as Tony left the living room.

"Sorry about that," I said to Jasper as we both sat down on the couch. "Overprotective brother."

"That's quite alright," he assured me as I pulled out my chemistry homework.

The two of us started to go over it, while Jasper began helping me to correct my mistakes and explain what I did wrong. I noticed that he kept a careful distance away from me and avoided touching me, as in letting our hands brush, at all costs. Maybe he was taking Tony's unspoken threat too seriously...

At some point, I found myself glancing up into Jasper's dark golden eyes. A thought suddenly struck me. "Hey, Jasper?"

"Yes, Kate?" he replied, glancing up to me with a small smile on his face.

"Do you have contacts?" The thought of his black eyes in the parking lot and when I first met him in the cafeteria flashed in my mind.

Jasper's smile disappeared. "Yes, I have contacts." _Did I upset him? _Worry passed through me at the thought of upsetting him. Right. Note to self: don't ask personal questions again.

I glanced down at my paper, and I noticed out of the corner of my eye Jasper frown slightly. The next second, a wave of calm washed through me, and I relaxed. I put down my pen and leaned back, stretching. "How long have we been working?"

"An hour," Jasper told me. "Should we take a break?"

"Sure." I stood up. "Hey, do you want anything to eat?"

A smile passed his face, as if he was enjoying a joke I didn't know. "No, thank you."

"Alright," I said, shrugging. "Well, I'm hungry." I walked into the kitchen and hunted around until I found a granola bar. Jasper had followed me into the kitchen and we both leaned against the counter while I ate my snack.

"Tell me about yourself," Jasper said suddenly, looking down at me. "Where did you move here from?"

I looked up at him, seeing his small smile and golden eyes, framed by his curly blond hair. I momentarily forgot how to speak before I found my voice again. "I moved here from Maine. I had been living there with my dad."

"Is it different here for you?" he asked, looking interested in the conversation.

I shrugged. "We had been living in the city, but I did manage to get out to go hiking or camping a lot. In some ways it's different, but in others it's home."

"What do you like to do?"

I bit my lip, thinking. "I like to write. A lot. I also like to hike. Anything involving the outdoors, really. Hiking, camping, canoeing..." I looked up at him. "What about you? Where did you live before Dr. Cullen adopted you?"

Jasper shrugged, looking away. "I used to live in Texas."

Sensing that he was uncomfortable, I steered the conversation away from there. "Well, I like living in Forks so far. I've met a lot of amazing people." I smiled as he looked back at me.

"Like Bella?" Jasper guessed, a hint of a smile on his face.

"And Nick," I replied. "Of course you're on the list as well."

"I feel honored," he said, grinning. I smiled back, but before I could say anything else, Tony walked into the room.

"How about some dinner?" Tony said, his eyes narrowing suspiciously when he saw how close Jasper and I were standing. I hadn't even noticed that we had been drifting closer together. Awkward. I walked over to the trash can and threw the wrapper away.

"Would you like to stay for dinner at least?" I offered Jasper.

"No, thank you. My family is expecting me," Jasper replied. "Thank you for having me over. It was a pleasure working with you."

"No problem!" I assured him. "Thanks so much for helping me out." I walked him to the door and said goodbye. I watched as he walked to his car before closing the door and walking back into the kitchen were Tony was waiting for me.

"It was just chemistry work, right?" Tony asked suspiciously.

I groaned. "Tony...no. Bad. He was just helping me out with chem."

"Alright." Tony threw his hands up in mock surrender. "How about macaroni and cheese for dinner?"

"Omnomnom," I replied cheerfully, walking into the living room and turning on the television. All I could picture was Jasper's golden eyes, though. I sighed. He was just a friend to me. Right?

* * *

A/N

Hello! I am so sorry about the hiatus. My muse temporarily left on a trip to Disney World and neglected to invite him *glares* Anyway, I watched the Twilight movies over again and found my muse again! I hope to get another chapter out. I have great plans for this fanfic.

Thank you to all of my reviewers. You guys are amazing!

Please review!

~Eva Sirico~


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